Optical, SPDIF or analogue?

[b.cummins]

So I have - a Creative X-Fi elite pro and some logitech Z-5500, thought i'd ask the speaker guys, whats the best input (for quality) to use with this combination, toslink, SPDIF or analogue?

 

[Mr_Sukebe]

From experience, coax digital sounds best. However with the kit you're using, probably wouldn't be able to tell.

 

[Glaucus]

coax > toslink > analogue Is what's generally accepted.

 

[Spyhop]

Surely the difference between digital co-ax and digital optical comes down to the way the devices at each end deal with the signal?

 

[b.cummins]

I know they both have built in digital encoders.. I was actually thinking of trying a CoAX input can anyone recommend a good brand of cable?

Also I bet these sound really stupid but the speakers are THX certified would CoAX make ANY difference with that, and the 5.1?

 

[Corasik]

Dolby 5.1/DTS/MPEG 5.1 can all be transmitted over Coax, or Optical without any problem. You need pretty high end kit before you can hear any difference between optical and coax, so no worries there.

THX.. well thats a kettle of fish isnt it. Just because Mr Lucas's hifi system is too 'bright' he thinks we all need to have all sorts of filters put in the path of our movie soundtracks. Pah what nonsense. My Tag Mclaren AV32R is THX Ultra 3 rated, but I never use the THX mode, it just sounds so much better running the way Tag intended, without the extra processing.

 

[b.cummins]

Well i forked out for a bloody expensive CoAX lead and in the end it does sound nicer... Bitstream out of DTS and the dolby digital works. You say you can turn off THX? How's that?

 

[Caged]

Use analogue if you want EAX. Or plug both in and swap between them depending on what you're doing.

 

[Corasik]

Well i forked out for a bloody expensive CoAX lead and in the end it does sound nicer... Bitstream out of DTS and the dolby digital works. You say you can turn off THX? How's that?

Not all THX approved amps/processors give the option to disable the THX processing. Just saying that THX isnt really anything special, and on my Processor, which does give the option to turn it off, the sound is best without THX.

 

[b.cummins]

Use analogue if you want EAX. Or plug both in and swap between them depending on what you're doing.

Yeah i figure SPDIF will be awesome for dolby digital encoded dvd's etc.